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Friday, June 30, 2017

This is the fifth installment in a series of posts on California's
climate leadership. These posts address a wide range of related topics including economic
benefits, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and cap-and-trade.

California Governor Jerry Brown is emphatic in his conviction that fact-based appraisals of the implications of climate change are essential. Although Brown is aware that fear causes many to turn away from climate impacts, as all responsible leaders should, he welcomes the facts as they are, not as he would like them to be. Facing the truth about climate change takes courage and Brown has that kind of courage. "Most people don’t want to think about catastrophe, I am not one of those people. I like to think about catastrophe."

Thursday, June 29, 2017

This is the fourth installment in a series of posts on California's
climate leadership. These posts address a wide range of related topics including economic
benefits, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and cap-and-trade.

California Governor Jerry Brown unambiguously ascribes blame for climate inaction in the US to the GOP. Republicans currently control the Executive and the Legislative branches of government. The GOP not only ignores climate action they undermine public awareness by subverting the facts.

As explained by Gov. Brown, the GOP has, "a slavish adherence to the non-belief in anything to do with climate change." Brown could not be more clear when he said the rhetoric coming out of Trump and other Republicans is both, "implausible" and "stupid." He went on to ask the GOP, "Where are you? You’re in an ‘Alice and Wonderland’ world."

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

This is the third installment in a series of posts on California's
climate leadership. These posts address a wide range of related topics including economic
benefits, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and cap-and-trade.

In the wake of the Trump administration's abdication, California has become the US leader on climate action. The Golden State is reaching out and making deals both domestically and with much of the rest of the world. The state is working with nations like China, Canada, Mexico and Scotland to broaden the scope of climate action.

California Governor Jerry Brown has been emboldened by the Trump administration's failure to act on climate. Late last year at the COP23 climate meeting, Gov. Brown said, "We may not represent Washington, but we will represent the wide swath of American people who will keep the faith on this."

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

This is the second installment in a series of posts on California's
climate leadership. These posts address a wide range of related topics including renewable energy, electric vehicles, and cap-and-trade.

California's efforts to combat climate change serve both human and planetary health but such action also pays lucrative economic dividends. California is a working example of a climate focused economy that crushes Trump's assertion that the Paris Agreement is bad for the economy. California's prodigious economic growth is directly related to the state's climate and environmental policies. It is important to note that these policies are even more stringent than those called for in the Paris deal. As explained by California Governor Jerry Brown, "Trump is wrong when he says Paris is bad for jobs. It’s good for jobs. The jobs of the future."

Monday, June 26, 2017

This is the first installment in a series of posts on California's
climate leadership. These posts address a wide range of related topics including economic
benefits, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and cap-and-trade.

The Trump administration's refusal to act on climate change is a missed opportunity that is being countered by the great state of California. Trump has said he is withdrawing the US from the the Paris Climate agreement and he has decimated Obama-era federal climate action and environmental protections. California governor Jerry Brown has made it clear that his state will pick up the mantle that the federal government has dropped. Shortly after Trump signed his energy plan, Gov. Brown said the president’s, "outrageous move will galvanize the contrary force."

Sunday, June 25, 2017

The Sustainable Innovation Forum (SIF) 2017 for COP23 will take place November 13-14, 2017. The 8th edition of the SIF will be taking place in Bonn, Germany – the home of the UNFCCC. This is the largest business-focused event during COP23. There will be more than 60 speakers, more than 600 attendees and 80 plus countries represented. Gathering the most influential national and local policy-makers, UN agencies, business leaders, investors and international NGOs, SIF17 is where policy meets innovation, and the ambitious goals and visions of the Paris Agreement will be put into action.

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

The refugee crisis is a large and growing problem that will only worsen as the Earth continues to get hotter. World Refugee Day is an initiative started in 1998 to combat hostility in society towards refugees and asylum seekers. This year the day affords an opportunity to reflect on our humanity or lack thereof.

Sunday, June 18, 2017

The Pac-12 Sustainability Conference will take place on Monday, June 26, 2017, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM PDT, 500 David J Stern Walk, Sacramento, CA 95814, United States. In an effort to influence conferences and universities around the country on this important issue, the Pac-12 will host the first conference-wide college sports sustainability summit in June 2017 in Sacramento, California as part of the annual Green Sports Alliance Summit. This event will convene sustainability officers from across the conference to design new collective initiatives and share best practices to transform college sports into a platform for environmental progress.

The Living Soils Symposium will take place October 31, 2017, at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. The subtitle of this event is, "restore the climate feed the world".

Creating living soils is part of a rapidly expanding movement towards growing healthier foods while restoring our climate and ecosystems.

This three-day bilingual event will bring together scientists, academics, food producers, students, government delegates, NGOs, activists, entrepreneurs, and consumers, to discuss the crucial role of living soils in addressing some of the world's most pressing environmental and social justice issues. These issues include:

Monday, June 12, 2017

On Friday, June 9th Environmental Leader (EL) announced the winners of the 2017 Products and Projects Awards. These innovative and inspiring products and projects are reviewed in an EL report (see link at the bottom of the page).

These companies are shining examples of corporate efforts that add business value in a wide range of areas including efficiency, renewable energy, waste reduction, heat capture, packaging, agriculture, and building retrofits.

Sunday, June 11, 2017

This workshop will take place on Thursday, June 15, 2017, at Boughton Law Corporation, 700-595 Burrard St., in Vancouver, British Columbia. It seems as though solar and wind take up all the oxygen in the renewable energy space, however, geothermal is an underutilized resource with huge potential for growth. This promising form of renewable energy will be explored at the Geothermal 101 & Business Development Workshop.

Saturday, June 10, 2017

Trump's decision to abandon the Paris Accord seems to have spurred a wave of climate action. The business community, investors, states, and cities are pushing back against the Trump administration's reckless disregard for climate change. Prior to Trump's decision to abandon the Paris Agreement a wide range of interests warned the administration to stick with the deal. Trump claims that he withdrew from Paris to protect American companies, cities, and states. However, companies, cities, and states think the president's decision is doing them more harm than good. This includes hundreds of businesses, 150 cities, and seventeen states. Hawaii is the first state to pass a law in support of the climate agreement.

Thursday, June 8, 2017

June 8 is World Oceans Day an opportunity to reflect on the importance of our oceans as well as solutions to the numerous threats they face. In 2017 the action focus is plastic pollution. Our oceans are indispensable to life of Earth and fate of humanity is intimately tied to their well-being. Our oceans are hotter and more acidic and they are increasingly unable to serve as carbon sinks. Coral reefs are dying and entire aquatic ecosystems are being destroyed. Norwegian billionaire and ocean advocate Kjell Inge Røkke aptly summarized situation when he said, "the oceans are also under greater pressure than ever before from overfishing, coastal pollution, habitat destruction, climate change and ocean acidification, and one of the most pressing challenges of all, plasticization of the ocean. The need for knowledge and solutions is pressing."

Monday, June 5, 2017

June 5 is World Environment Day (WED) and this year the host Country is Canada. The theme for 2017 is 'Connecting People to Nature – in the city and on the land, from the poles to the equator'. WED is the United Nation's principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment. This event began in 1974 with the theme "Only One Earth", and it is now celebrated in 143 countries annually.

Sunday, June 4, 2017

The Transformative Role of Renewables in Southeast Asia – Perspectives from IRENA’s REmap Renewable Energy Roadmaps for the Region will take place June 5 – 8, 2017 in Manila, Philippines. This event will overview the key themes and findings from IRENA’s various reports with a perspective on what can be achieved in Southeast Asia up to the year 2030.

Saturday, June 3, 2017

It is done, on June 1 just before 4 pm, Donald Trump did the unthinkable, he announced that he was withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Accord. In so doing he may have sentenced future generations to an apocalyptic hell. As the news broke, I couldn't help but think of the iconic "blue marble" photograph of the Earth taken by the crew of the Appollo 17 on December 7, 1972. Almost 45 years later I am struck by just how fragile the little blue marble seems in the tiny hands of Donald Trump.